Developmental and Psychological Concerns in Children With Complex Congenital Heart Disease: The Need for a Screening...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Complex congenital heart disease (CHD) is linked to adverse neurodevelopmental and psychological outcomes.
• Limited Australian data exist on these outcomes and follow-up care for children with complex CHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of developmental and psychological concerns in South Australian children with complex CHD.
• To assess concurrent healthcare utilization for these concerns.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 55 children (3-7 years 11 months) with complex CHD.
• Utilized validated screening tools: Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), PEDS-Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
• Collected demographic, cardiac, comorbidity, and healthcare data via questionnaires and medical records.

Main Results:

• High prevalence of developmental concerns: 57% (PEDS) and 70% (PEDS:DM), significantly exceeding Australian population rates (22%).
• Psychological concerns were prevalent at 28%, higher than Australian population data (10%).
• Nearly half of children with concerns lacked current engagement with relevant healthcare professionals.

Conclusions:

• Screening reveals significantly higher rates of developmental and psychological concerns in children with complex CHD compared to the general Australian population.
• A substantial proportion of children with identified concerns were not actively followed up, highlighting the need for routine screening programs.